The Effectiveness of Transdiagnostic Therapy on Sexual Distress, Sexual Self-Disclosure, and Sexual Quality of Life in Women with Severe Methamphetamine Use Disorder
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Objective: Women with methamphetamine use disorder often experience significant disruptions in sexual functioning, including elevated sexual distress, poor self-disclosure in intimate relationships, and reduced sexual quality of life. Transdiagnostic therapy, which targets underlying emotional and cognitive vulnerabilities, may offer an effective approach for improving these outcomes.
Methods and Materials: This quasi-experimental study employed a pretest-posttest control group design. Twenty-four women diagnosed with severe methamphetamine use disorder were selected using purposive sampling and randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 12) and a control group (n = 12). The intervention group received 12 sessions of transdiagnostic therapy targeting emotional regulation, cognitive restructuring, and interpersonal processing. Data were collected using the Revised Female Sexual Distress Scale (FSDS-R), Hulbert Index of Sexual Assertiveness (HISA), and Sexual Quality of Life Questionnaire (SQLQ). Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) and ANCOVA were used to assess treatment effects.
Findings: After controlling for pretest scores, the intervention group demonstrated statistically significant improvements compared to the control group in all measured outcomes: sexual distress (F= 10.65, p< .01, η² = 0.411), sexual self-disclosure (F= 12.20, p< .01, η² = 0.446), and sexual quality of life (F= 13.90, p< .001, η² = 0.481). These findings indicate large effect sizes across all domains.
Conclusion: Transdiagnostic therapy is effective in reducing sexual distress and enhancing sexual self-disclosure and quality of life among women with methamphetamine dependency. Integrating this approach into addiction treatment may offer significant benefits in addressing the sexual and emotional health of this population.
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